Because of You
by Chaos Burning
Summary: What they never realized in their time together, was how much they really needed each other. It takes one fiery engineer, a devastated Engineering department, and an epidemic for them to fully understand what they truly mean to one another. McCoy/Kirk
1. Never Gonna Be Alone

Title: Because of You  
Pairing: McCoy/Kirk, hints of Scotty/OC  
Rating: Currently T, but subject to change  
Word Count:  
Summary: What they never realized in their time together, was how much they really needed each other. It takes one fiery engineer, a devastated Engineering department, and an epidemic for them to fully understand what they truly mean to one another. McCoy/Kirk pairing, possibly smut later, I haven't decided since I suck at smut and have never written anything other then het!smut (and terribly bad smut at that)

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_Time, is going by, so much faster than I,  
And I'm starting to regret not spending all of it with you.  
Now I'm, wondering why, I've kept this bottled inside,  
So I'm starting to regret not telling all of this to you.  
So if I haven't yet, I've gotta let you know..._

**"Never Gonna Be Alone" Nickelback**

When Jim had issued the order to the heads of sectors to pick their new seconds, it had been amusing to see. McCoy's own second had been a natural choice, a gifted young doctor named Miranda McClellan. She was a brilliant recent graduate and had been on board the Enterprise these last few months showing surprising initiative, so it had seen perfect to choose her. Scotty's choice however, surprised the hell out of everyone except Jim. When the Chief Engineer had shown up the next day dragging a grease covered girl who wore what might possibly have been a Starfleet uniform – it was difficult to tell – and proceeded to tell the captain that Melissa was his choice, and he wouldn't have any other, the officers had just stared at him.

Jim, of course, had simply laughed and said that of course he trusted his judgment, and _welcome to the Enterprise Melissa Burr_. _Mel_, she'd said. _It's just Mel. _The grease monkey had then proceeded to follow Scotty onboard below decks towards the engineer's bunks, arguing the entire time about how she was better off here on Earth, that she didn't need to go on some starship to prove her intelligence. She almost spat out the words _some starship_, as if the word held a dirty meaning for her.

Leonard "Bones" McCoy chuckled to himself. She reminded him of another young Starfleet cadet, too afraid to even sit in the main seating area of a shuttle, preferring the windowless bathroom. It was almost poetic. Though, he didn't think she had aviophobia, or she wouldn't even dare step onto the shuttle that had taken her up to the space station they were currently docked at. Frankly, he didn't know how he'd done it four years ago. God, had it really only been three years? It took generally ninety-nine point nine percent of cadets longer then that just to graduate from Starfleet Academy. And here he and the others were, serving the majority of the senior level positions. Chief Medical Officer. He hadn't even dared dream that big during his academy time, unlike Jim who had done exactly what he'd planned. Become Captain of Starfleet's flagship vessel in only three years. Bones shook his head, chuckling at the irony.

For the first week or so once they'd headed out, no one much saw or heard a peep from the young engineer. She rarely left the engineering deck, but many of the other could be overheard speaking her praises. They called her brilliant and talented, and that she was completely unafraid to tackle any dirty, messy, or dangerous job required. Scotty and Mel were always together, even when they left their kingdom. Leisure time was spent playing 3D chess or some sort of other game together, and they were often spotted drinking and relaxing.

The other night, she'd even fallen asleep across his lap, and the burly engineer had chuckled before carrying her down the decks to her room on the engineering deck. And something else that contributed to the now circulating rumors of the crew was the fact that the only two sets of quarters on that deck belonged to the Chief Engineer and the Assistant Chief Engineer. So far, both had seemed oblivious to the rumor, but even the bridge had a bet going as to whether or not they were 'together'.

Then he'd had to call her to report to the sickbay for a routine checkup.

She'd reported directly on time, and without complaint, much to his surprise. Of all the crewmen on board, Scotty protested the loudest when it came time for sickbay inspections, or when he injured himself. The Scot hated doctors, though he didn't dislike the men and women themselves. He just didn't like being treated. So it surprised McCoy when the young woman showed up punctually, because he would have assumed that an extended period of time with Scotty before it was time to report would have convinced her not to come. The Scot had his arguments down to a science.

"Hello Lieutenant Commander Burr, if you'd just sit down on that biobed, we'll be good to go." McCoy turned back to the table behind him to pick up the medical tricorder. When he turned around again, she hadn't obeyed him, but rather stood with her arms crossed and her weight centered on one hip – clearly an argumentative pose.

"I don't need a physical." She immediately shot off. "I got one just I left Earth, because there was no way in hell Monty was letting me in space without making sure I was completely healthy." Bones blinked. Monty? It took him a moment to connect the pieces and realize she was talking about the Chief Engineer. Everyone called him Scotty or Scott, almost everyone had forgotten his first name was Montgomery. He quickly focused back in on what she was saying. "…and I'm in perfect condition." She tapped her foot and glared expectantly at the Chief Medical Officer.

Hiding a small smile, Bones shook his head. "Nu uh honey. I'm the Chief Medical Officer around here, and that means what I say in regards to the crew's health goes. So go lay down on the biobed there please." He returned her stormy gaze with a pleasant smile. Mel sniffed, and stomped over to the bed. The doctor wiped the small grin from his face, and then held the tridcorder just as the door to the bay whooshed open again.

"Jim? What did you do now?" Bones asked with a sigh. The Captain grinned embarrassedly. "I was exercising and sparring with one of the younger ensigns, and he got in a pretty good shot." Bones shook his head sadly. "What are we going to do with you?" He grinned. "Love me forever and listen to everything I say?" Bones snorted. "That'll be the day."

Melissa watched the conversation with interest. While she didn't have any personal interest in the matter, it was nonetheless a new curiosity. The two men were obviously close friends judging from the familiar and casual way the doctor addressed the captain – something not many would have been comfortable doing. But something in their exchange hinted at a possibility of more. "Lay down Jim." Bones ordered, turning around to reach for a hypo lying on the table.

"Whoa, whoa whoa! No more of those bastardly things Bones!" The Captain exclaimed, reaching up to protect his face and neck with his arms." The doctor snickered. "Never figured you for a gun shy coward Jim. I said I was sorry for stabbing you with the hypos. How's the bruise anyway?" The captain shot the doctor a glare that spoke volumes. He reluctantly peeled back the collar of his gold command shirt, revealing a splotched bruise on the inside of his neck. "Better." He grumbled.

They both seemed to have forgotten Mel was even in the room. She coughed softly. "Doctor McCoy sir, may I leave? I'm fine, as I told you, and the Captain seems to require medical attention urgently." She said softly, though a fire blazed in her eyes that promised an argument if he replied negatively. Reluctantly, McCoy nodded. "But you do have to return at some point Lieutenant Commander!" He ordered sternly. With a broad grin, the red shirted woman strode confidently out of the bay.

"God, she's just like Scotty. It's ridiculous." Kirk said after a moment, the cried out in pain when Bones poked him hard in the side. "This is why I'm your best friend. You wouldn't last more then a week without a doctor who'll patch you up no matter what you do." Bones retorted.

* * *

His busted lip and black eye repaired enough that it wasn't completely obvious, Jim Kirk returned to the bridge. Sinking into the captain's chair – _his _captain's chair – Jim sighed softly. He hadn't known it all for all those years, but this was all he ever wanted. A ship, and a star to fly her by. Well, there was certainly _one_ other thing he wanted, Kirk thought with a small grin, eliciting a strange look from his Communications Officer. Uhura glanced at him with an unreadable look in her eye before turning back to her console. Spock entered the bridge, and strolled over to where she was, whispering something in her ear before heading over towards his station. The lovely woman looked flustered, then returned to whatever it was she had been doing.

At the helm, Sulu and Chekov were quietly arguing over some obscure point or another, something to do with orbits of one kind or another. Kirk eavesdrops for a moment, trying to decide if it's a conversation worth listening to. It's not, which surprises him slightly. He has always wanted to know absolutely everything that went on with his ship, and if the helm personnel are discussing something that has to do with this, well, he's usually in the thick of it, at least listening. Not today apparently. Today his mind focused in on one blue-eyed doctor. Bones and Kirk had been best friends since the day McCoy turned to him and announced that 'I might just throw up on you'. They'd been roommates, study partners, drinking buddies, and god knows what else.

But for some reason, Kirk wanted more.

He didn't even know what comprised of more. To his own knowledge, he wasn't gay or even bisexual, but he was starting to suspect that may he was just Bonesexual. Because Bones had been creeping into his fantasies with an alarming frequency as of late. And while it was a great feeling, it was disturbing on a level. McCoy had been married with a daughter for Christ's sake, it couldn't even be possible that he would even experiment with Jim… could it?

Uhura's voice startled Jim from his reverie. "Captain, we're receiving an incoming transmission from Peragu IV. The miners there are requesting assistance, as it seems that their life support systems and generator are failing. Also, their CMO recently passed on, and since they haven't received a new one yet, they're requesting medical examinations." Kirk nodded.

"Sulu, patch a course for Peragu IV please, you heard the lady. Uhura, inform the miners that we're on our way." Kirk pressed his fingers in a system on the arm of the chair. "Bridge to Doctor McCoy." He waited for a moment, then Bones' gruff 'I'm busy dammit Jim' voice came on. "What?" Jim hid a smile. "We're currently enroute to Peragu IV, a mining planet, and you're going down with the party. Their CMO is recently deceased, and they're requesting medical attention." He listening for the griping he knew would come. "Dammit Jim!" Then the long suffering sigh of martyr. "How long?" Jim is delighted. It's a step, that McCoy's not arguing. "We'll be beaming down in about an hour." McCoy signs off with a flurry of curses and complaints about transporters and his insides ending up where his outsides were.

Some things never changed.

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_**Author's Note: Okay, so let me explain something about this fic. It started out as a McCoy/OC, but as I went along it just didn't seem like a great pairing. Bones just didn't want to work with me; and Kirk was demanding his fair share of the story. (Drama queen) But I've been reading a lot of really terrific McCoy/Kirk slash, and that just seemed to fit. I'm sorry if parts of it don't quite work the way I originally intended them too, because I altered some of the parts to better fit the new pairing, and took out parts that were specifically for the McCoy/OC pairing. I hope you guys like it, it's my first ever Trek fic, so bear with me please if it completely tanks and sucks, and I just love them to death. It's an established Kirk attraction to Bones already, and Bones is completely oblivious, as usual. Kirk isn't like, pining away over Bones, but he's definitely had thoughts of what they'd be like together.**_

_**Disclaimer: Star Trek, McCoy, and Kirk will never be mine, no matter how much I wish the second one was. Also, I've seen the movie like, three times, and I'm currently in the middle of watching the original series. Sorry if some of the facts in the story aren't completely canon, I took a few liberties here and there.**_

_**This story is supposed to take place about a month or two after the movie ends.**_

_**The title of the fic comes from the Nickelback song, because I heard it and immediately thought of Bones and Kirk when I was trying to find a name for the fic. (I'm ridiculously picky about titles, believe me) If you've never heard it, I suggest possibly listening to it, but it might just be me on the whole 'it's a Bones and Kirk song'. I could so see Bones talking about Kirk in it. There's a couple of other songs I'll probably use lyrics to, since I adore Nickelback. It's not the only one, because I find a lot of the newer songs oddly appropriate. But then, it's probably just me. I find a lot of songs appropriate for things that aren't. Go figure.**_

_**Oh, I'd also like to apologize for Scotty. Um, I'm pretty sure his accent sucks, but I couldn't write him without it, since it's so a part of him. It's my first attempt at writing (Wow, my first at a lot of things I guess) so be nice please. ^^**_


	2. Far Away

Title: Because of You  
Pairing: McCoy/Kirk, hints of Scotty/OC  
Rating: Currently T, but subject to change  
Word Count: 1,881  
Summary: What they never realized in their time together, was how much they really needed each other. It takes one fiery engineer, a devastated Engineering department, and an epidemic for them to fully understand what they truly mean to one another. McCoy/Kirk pairing, possibly smut later, I haven't decided since I suck at smut and have never written anything other then het!smut (and terribly bad smut at that)

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_That I love you  
I have loved you all along  
And I miss you  
Been far away for far too long  
I keep dreaming you'll be with me  
and you'll never go  
Stop breathing if  
I don't see you anymore_

**"Far Away" Nickelback**

_Bridge to Engineering. Chief Engineer Scott requested on the Bridge.  
_

After a few minutes, a harangued looking Scotty stomped onto the bridge. "Twas in the middle of somethin' Jim, what tis it?" The senior officer grumbled, looking cross. The captain wisely stopped himself from grinning at what he knew was good-natured grumbling. "The stupid phase cannons are malfunctioning, and we were in the middle of takin' 'em apart. What is so godamn urgent?"

"Scotty, the mining station down there desperately needs an engineer to repair their life support system. I need you to go with the landing party, as they are particularly complicated due to the severe nature of the Class-H planet." The Chief Engineer began shaking his head as soon as he heard the words 'go with'. "I canno Cap'n. For those very reasons ye just told me. I have to stay onboard to ensure that everything stays properly outfitted in this harsh area, and due to the unusually high magnetic properties of the atmosphere, I have to be one hand to beam them down. Riley's a good transport chief, I'd jus feel more comfortable stayin' here. Unfortunately, one area Mel is severely lacking in is knowledge of the transporter room." He looked thoughtful. "Do ye trust Mel to handle the repairs? She's fully capable, as you're aware." The young woman had proven herself over the last couple of months, deftly handling any and all repairs, always around Scotty to assist him in anything.

Jim couldn't help but agree. "She's almost a mini you Scotty." The Scot guffawed, then restrained himself. "Good god man. That's an image I dinna need in my head of my kid sister." The captain looked interested. "Your sister? I didn't know you had any siblings." The officer shook his head. "I don't, but Mel might tas well be. 'er family moved in next door to us 2229, when I was seven, from England. She was three at the time. We grew up bes friends, even t'when I went off to Starfleet. She followed when she was old enough as well, actually she was in the Advanced Relativistic Mechanics class Admiral Archer was teaching." He grinned. "We all know how tha ended fer me, but Mel graduated second in her class." He looked proud as a father, which was probably more to the truth about what his feelings were regarding Melissa, Jim mused. Of course, he wasn't going to tell the crew this, because their speculations had been too amusing. And although the look in one of his senior officer's eyes was interesting when he saw the young Lieutenant, at the moment, he was too busy to play matchmaker.

"Regardless of all this. Mel'l go down with the landing party, unless ye'd prefer another." He looked expectantly at the captain, who couldn't help but grin. "Now, how would that look if I didn't have any faith in my assistant chief engineer Scotty? Of course Mel'l go with them. Report to the transporter room once you've informed your assistant of the need to acquire an exposure suit." The chief engineer nodded briskly, and strode off, calling for his assistant the moment he stepped off the lift. "MELISSA!"

She poked her head out from underneath the phase cannon assembly she was in the middle of inspecting. "What? I'm right here." He grumbled. "You're going down with away team." A panicked look crossed her face, then was gone. "Yer to repair the life support systems and generators for the minin' base. Get an exposure suit on an haul yer sorry ass down to the transporter bay." She nodded slowly, and darted off.

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McCoy glanced up at the sound of heavy metal boots striking the floors, and watched as the assistant chief engineer proudly came into the room, carrying the heavy exposure suit helmet under her arm. Inwardly, he winced. He wasn't sure what it was about the female that bothered him so, but something about her he couldn't put his finger on. It wasn't something awful or bad that was bothering him about her, just… he really didn't even know how to put it. Just something. It was almost as if she was up to something.

Bones wanted to slap himself after that last thought. He was an advanced medical doctor, a surgeon for chrissakes, and the Chief Medical Officer of the U.S.S Enterprise. And all he could come up with was 'something'? And then proceed to severely overuse the word as well. Fat lot of good all his secondary education did him. She mounted the stairs to stand on a transporter pad beside himself, Chekov, and another medical staff member. "Let 'er rip Monty." It was odd hearing the engineer referred to as any named other then Scotty, and Monty didn't seem to fit the burly Scot. But it was obviously an affectionate term, as the two were close. The Scot snickered. "Dun do anything I would na do lass." She scoffed and flicked him the bird as they beamed out, sliding her helmet on and locking it into place at the last moment as they began to shimmer and break apart.

On the ground, Bones glanced out the broad viewing platform window to see the young engineer already striding towards the generators and life support systems within view around the side. Shaking his head, he turned and faced the miners. The other medical staff member and McCoy then proceeded to usher them a few at a time into their sickbay for examination.

Outside, Mel used one of the things that undid screws – she'd never really bothered to learn the proper names, preferring the ones she and Scotty had always jokingly used – and opened up the side panel of the generator. She clucked to herself. It was no wonder the generator was malfunctioning. The acidity and dust of the atmosphere had eaten through some of the crucial parts. She spoke into her wrist comm. "Scotty, can you beam me down a few things?" He gave an affirmative, and then asked what she needed. After providing him with a list, she rocked back on her heels and glanced curiously up towards the superstructure that towered over her. Mel wondered what the doctors, and Chekov, were doing inside.

She rolled her eyes. McCoy was so damn uptight. He and Kirk were tight, that much was obvious, but there was an underlying factor in that equation that intrigued her. Regardless, it really wasn't her place to pry, but she found it too amusing to do otherwise. James Kirk was a womanizing playboy, and that fact was _quite _well known around the Starfleet campus in San Francisco – many of the girls still giggled about him. But something in his eyes when he glanced at Bones hinted otherwise. But at the same time, McCoy seemed completely unruffled by it and almost oblivious to it.

And she was spending entirely too much time thinking about one Doctor McCoy and one Captain Kirk.

But they had a certain something that intrigued the woman. She'd have to research it more, but the could the two possibly be more? They were best friends, and every one knew that that sometimes morphed into more. Regardless. Now was not the time to debate it.

The supplies and parts she'd requested from the Enterprise appeared next to her, and the engineer got back to work. It only took her a little bit of time to repair the generator before she moved on to the life support system. It was slightly baffling to her why Kirk had informed Scotty that the generators were complicated. To her, they were comically simple compared to the systems of the Enterprise's warp engines. As she opened the panel on the life support, Mel fell backwards onto her butt with a start as something purple and fluttery burst out. What she didn't notice was the small yellow sludge that crept into and attached itself tightly to one of her tools inside the kit she'd brought with her.

She finished what she was doing rather quickly, and spoke quietly into the comm inside the helmet. She appeared a few moments later in the transporter bay, and made her way up to the bridge to report to the captain, hoisting the bag of tools over one shoulder.

"Captain, the miners' systems are repaired sir." Mel stood off to the front of the command chair, but Kirk wasn't focused on her at the moment. His gaze was very intently staring at the small windows denoting the status of the away team on the bottom of the main viewing screen. There were four currently there, but as she watched one of them, her own, disappeared due to her status as being back aboard. Kirk's eyes was lasered in on one specifically, that of Doctor McCoy. Melissa smiled to herself. "Captain?" Kirk shook himself almost comically. "I'm sorry Lieutenant. Bones just has a terrible track record on away missions. Can I help you?" She nodded. "Yes sir, I was just reporting that the life support systems and generators are now functioning at maximum capacity." He grinned broadly. "Good work Lieutenant."

* * *

Grumbling the entire way in about the unreliability of transporters, Bones entered the bridge. "I hate you sometimes Jim." He grumbled in a gruff voice, and the captain faced him with a small smile quirking at his lips. Jim leaned back in the captain's chair, steepling his fingers in front of his face. "And now why would that be dearest Bones of mine?" He teased. The doctor scowled at him. "There was no need for me to go down there, any of the doctors could have fulfilled what the miners needed." Jim snorted. "And wouldn't that have been insulting, not sending our chief medical officer? It's only polite."

Bones raised an eyebrow and sneered, before turning on his heel and storming off the bridge. Jim frowned. "Spock, you have the conn." He levered himself out of the captain's chair and went after his best friend, entering the lift behind him. "Bones…" The doctor raised an eyebrow. "What Jim?" He laughed softly. "Are you really okay? Just pissed at me, as usual?" Reluctantly, Bones nodded. "I'm fucking fine. I just hate that device you call a transporter. Machine of Death, now that would be a better name. How many times have we had issues with a malfunctioning one? Too many I say." Bones protested, and Jim could clearly hear the 'Space is disease and danger wrapped in darkness and silence' tone. He knew his friend far too well.

And wasn't that the thing. He apparently didn't know him well enough, or at least as well as he wanted to. Boundaries, boundaries. There were some lines Jim Kirk was unwilling to cross; some rules he was unwilling to break. Fucking your best friend was one of them. Bones had been his anchor for too long for him to let something as meaningless as sex get between them, regardless of whatever fantasies he might have when jerking off. Or other times. "..im?" He quickly jerked his eyes up to Bones', realizing he'd been staring at Bones' pulse point and not answering him. The doctor arched one of his eyebrows in the damnedly attractive fashion. "Are YOU okay?"

The answer to that, was decidedly subjective.

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_**Many thanks to everyone who's reviewed! I'm a very nervous writer, and I tend to fret about how other's are going to view what I write. It means a lot to hear postive feedback!**_


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